The Converge FiberXers made it back-to-back wins on Saturday, dismantling the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 128-118, for their third win of the PBA Philippine Cup as against a solitary loss. With the victory, Converge kept up with early leaders Magnolia Hotshots and TNT Tropang 5G with identical 3-1 records.
What Happened?
Converge scored the game’s first nine points, built as much as a 29-11 lead in the first quarter, and quickly served notice that it was going to be a long night for Phoenix. A strong start to the third helped the Fuel Masters threaten to within 65-61, but Converge answered with a quick 7-0 blitz to restore order. That would be the story of the second half: Phoenix chipping away, Converge building the lead back up. Unfortunately for the Fuel Masters, they just couldn’t break through.
Who Stood Out?
Juan Gomez de Liaño was once again sensational, controlling the game for Converge with his playmaking and finishing with 19 points and 12 dimes. Backcourt partner Alec Stockton (22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) was superb as well, as were Justin Arana (17 points, 7 rebounds) and Justine Baltazar (13 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks).
Ricci Rivero, meanwhile, continued his strong season thus far for Phoenix, going off for 23 points on top of 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Jason Perkins had a great showing as well, firing a conference-high 25 points, including 8 during Phoenix’s third-quarter run.
3 Keys to the Game
- Strong start. That 9-0 start proved to be an omen of good things to come for the FiberXers, who built on that lead and forced Phoenix to play catch-up. The Fuel Masters threatened a couple of times in the second half, but every time they did, Converge always had an answer.
- Three-point shooting. The FiberXers’ three-point shooting was on point this game, particularly in the first half, where they made six of their first seven attempts from deep and went 8-for-13 overall. For the game, Converge hit 15 of their 25 triples as against Phoenix converting on 9 of their 24 attempts from downtown.
- Balanced attack. Delta Pineda got production up and down his roster, from the starters to his bench. In fact, 13 of the 15 players he fielded scored, with six finishing in double digits led by Stockton’s 22, de Liaño’s 19, and Arana’s 17.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA will have three games on tap on Sunday, with one on foreign soil. Over at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will try to make it two wins in a row when they take on the Titan Ultra Giant Risers in the first game. The second game will see the Meralco Bolts stake their three-game winning streak against the NLEX Road Warriors. Then, later in the night, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel will take on the San Miguel Beermen in Dubai as the league holds its first out-of-country game in years.
Rain or Shine vs. Titan Ultra (5:15 p.m.)
NLEX vs. Meralco (7:30 p.m.)
Barangay Ginebra vs. San Miguel (10:00 p.m.)
